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The chronology of the Harry Potter series is the timeline of the fictional events in the Harry Potter novels written by J. K. Rowling, along with additional materials posted on her web site and published in various interviews. The timeline covers events referred to and occurring within the novels. It appears in other media, such as the DVD copies of the films produced by Warner Bros. She has now finished her seventh book, which is called Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

The focus of the stories is the magical society which exists alongside the mundane world of the Muggles. These parallel societies share the same geography and chronology,[1] but the events of the mundane world are only presented insofar as they deviate from real-world history.

The timeline contains flaws, which Rowling has on occasion acknowledged, and sometimes contradicts itself or does not agree with real calendar days and dates for events being described.[2][3] Nonetheless, it has become a generally accepted timeline for the events within the novels.[3]

The dates provided in the timeline are derived from bits of information provided by Rowling, either directly in her books, on her website, during published interviews, or from other published materials. For example the Black Family Tree, first mentioned in the fifth book of the series The Order of the Phoenix was extended and donated for a charity auction.[4] That extended version included birthdates and death years for several key characters.[3]

Warner Bros. is the producer of the Harry Potter films, and holds the associated copyrights and trademarks related to Harry Potter media. DVD editions of the Harry Potter films Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire, contain the timeline of events, which take place over the course of the films and in the narrative of the novels. Warner Bros. originally developed the timeline as part of the special features package for the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) DVD. Rowling reviewed the timelines and made several changes before approving them as "official".[3]

The timeline followed in the novels is not enforced in the films. In the film series, London and the suburbs of Surrey reflect an early 21st century setting. This is demonstrated by the inclusion of modern British cars and modern electronic equipment in the Dursley home. In addition, the use of Westminster Station in the fifth film is inconsistent, since it was completely changed for the Jubilee Line extension, which opened in 1999, four years after the event.

Contents

Timeline basis

The official timeline is rooted in a date cited in Rowling’s second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, set in Harry’s second year at Hogwarts. During the Halloween celebrations at the school, a long dead ghost called Nearly Headless Nick celebrates the anniversary of his death, which took place on a long ago 31 October, with a "five hundredth deathday" party. A central feature of this party is an "enormous grey cake in the shape of a tombstone", stating "Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington (the real name of Nearly Headless Nick) died 31st October 1492". Thus, Rowling sets the date on which the event takes place in the book as 31 October 1992.[5] This means that Harry became a student at Hogwarts in 1991,[6] and so must have been born in 1980, since his 11th birthday occurs at the beginning of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone the summer before he becomes a Hogwarts student.[7][8]

In using the life and death of Nearly Headless Nick to express the chronology of her novels, Rowling initially contradicted herself. In the original printing of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Nearly-Headless Nick claimed to Harry that "I haven't eaten for nearly four hundred years".[9] Had Rowling left this statement unchanged, it would have created an inconsistency in her timeline. However, she corrected the statement in later editions to read, "I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years"—making it consistent with what she had disclosed in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.[3]

Rowling later gave further confirmation of this original timeline anchor when in early 2006, she donated a hand-drawn copy of the Black family tree to a charity auction for Book Aid International.[4] In that document, she included the birth year of one of Harry's classmates, Draco Malfoy, as 1980.[10] She had previously, in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, revealed Draco's birthday to be (like that of Harry) late in the school year and past January.[11] By means of these two devices, she thus also clearly sets the birthdate of her main character as 31 July 1980, and thus, by extension, reinforced the original implication that the Sorting Ceremony that takes place on 1 September in her first book was envisioned by her as taking place in the chronological year 1991.[3]

Harry's 1980 birth-year is confirmed in Rowling's Wizard of the Month entry for Harry at her web site.[12]

Rowling's manuscript depiction of The Black Family Tree was shown as being similar to that which she had described in the form of a tapestry, appearing in Order of the Phoenix on the wall of the Black family home. In her manuscript copy, Rowling drew several lacunae (which had been explained by her in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix as burns in the Tapestry Tree featuring in the novel), which she noted as obscuring the names and birthdates of a number of disowned members of the Black family, including a major character of the novels, Sirius Black.[13][10]

Black, Harry's parents, Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew were all in the same Hogwarts school year (i.e. between September of one year and August of the next).[14] Prior to the publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, fans were able to use chronological references in the text to estimate that these characters were born between 1957 and 1960. Rowling reveals the exact birthdates of the Potters in Chapter 16 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, "Godric's Hollow", when Harry visits his parents' grave. The marble headstone lists James Potter's date of birth as 27 March 1960, and Lily Potter's as 30 January 1960. They and the other students in their year at school attended Hogwarts from 1971 to 1978, and their classmates must have been born between September 1959 and August 1960.

Contradictions

There are several minor contradictions in the timeline, both internal and compared with the real-world timeline. For example, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone opens on Tuesday 1 November, despite 1 November 1981 having been a Sunday.[15][2] Rowling herself has admitted having difficulty with managing mathematics in the FAQ section of her website.[16] Also in Philosopher's Stone Hermione states that Nicolas Flamel "celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year." The historic Flamel was born in 1330, placing the events of Philosopher's Stone during 1995/1996, while on the other hand, Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday Anniversary was celebrated in 1992 during Harry's second year, implying that his first year was in 1991. Nearly Headless Nick also said in the first book that he hadn't eaten for "nearly four hundred years", but in the next book he has been dead for 500 years. Later editions of Philosopher's Stone correct this to "nearly five hundred years".

The birthdates of Harry's parents are also somewhat inconsistent with other chronological references in the text. James Potter in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is referred to as being fifteen years old in the summer of his fifth year at Hogwarts. Yet, his birthdate in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is shown to be March. Unless one literally translates "summer of his fifth year" as applying to the opening months of his first term, rather than the summer after the fifth year concluded, the Hogwarts admission cutoff date of 31 August for eleven year olds implies James would have turned sixteen before the summer of his fifth year.

At the beginning of the sixth book (set in 1996, but temporarily flashbacking to 1990/1991 to see the first 5–6 books from the "Muggle Prime Minister's" point of view), the Muggle prime minister is visited by Cornelius Fudge. During their first conversation, Fudge says of the previous prime minister, "He tried to throw me out of the window." In 1996, the prime minister was John Major, and his predecessor was a woman, Margaret Thatcher.

The sixth book has Dumbledore becoming Headmaster around 1956, but in the third book Remus Lupin (born 1960) says that he was bitten by a werewolf when he was a very small boy and that "It seemed impossible that I would be able to come to Hogwarts. [...] Other parents weren't likely to want their children exposed to me. But then Dumbledore became Headmaster, and he was sympathetic." This implies that Dumbledore became Headmaster much later, around 1970.

At the beginning of the fourth book, Harry writes to Sirius claiming that his cousin Dudley has thrown his PlayStation out of the window. However, Harry writes his letter during August, while the PlayStation was not released anywhere until December 1994 and not until September 1995 in Europe.

In book one to six (presumably book seven as well), 2 September (the first day of school) is a Monday, though this has only occurred in 1985, 1991, 1996 and 2002 in recent years.

Although the precise date is unknown to those within the novels, Rowling envisioned (in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, set in 1992–1993) Hogwarts, the magical centrepiece of her novels, as having been built "over a thousand years ago" by the four 'Founders', two witches and two wizards (named Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin) whom she portrays as revered figures through the novels. According to Rowling, the education of magical children began at the school at the same time; although, following the standard pattern of creation myths, she depicts this endeavour as becoming lessened due to internal dissent: two of the founders, Slytherin and Gryffindor, quarrel over their creation (Slytherin demanding that they not teach magical students whose families are not magical), resulting in Slytherin rebelling and abandoning the endeavour. At the same time, before leaving, he builds the Chamber of Secrets, a hidden chamber containing a deadly basilisk.[19]The Chamber can only be opened, and the basilisk controlled, by the 'heir' of Slytherin.

A Manticore savages a human and gets away with it, as everyone is too scared to approach the dangerous monster.

c. 1300

The Triwizard Tournament, a competition Rowling uses as a major feature in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, is dated by her in that book (taking place in the year 1994–1995) as having been established "some seven hundred years ago". Rowling writes that, although a friendly competition, it was ended at an unknown point due to the mounting death toll. She noted, however, that there were several intervening centuries between the cancellation and the novel in which it becomes relevant, since "there have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament."[21]

1362

The Wizarding Council bans playing Quidditch within 50 miles of Muggle towns.

1368

The ban is extended to 100 miles.

1422

Lisette de Lapin is sentenced to death for witchcraft in Paris. She escapes by transforming into a rabbit and fleeing to England, where she becomes an advisor to Henry VI.[22]

Rowling considered this a particularly important date in the history of the major sport of her novels, Quidditch: not only does she envision it as the year of the first Quidditch World Cup (a major sporting event in her novels, as seen in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), but she also humorously stated in Quidditch Through the Ages that, of the 700 fouls she writes of as existing in the game, "all of them are known to have occurred during the final of the first ever World Cup" in this year.[23]

The International Statute of Secrecy is signed. This was a year after the Glorious Revolution in Britain.

1692

The International Confederation of Wizards meets in this year, and makes a number of important decisions, including establishing the right for wizards to carry wands at all times and deciding to begin hiding magical creatures from Muggles. This year, as confirmed in the seventh book, was the year when the wizarding world entirely split from the Muggle world. This is also the same year that the Salem witch trials took place.

1717

The Ministry of Magic decrees that Avada Kedavra, Cruciatus and Imperius are Unforgivable Curses, and attaches the strictest penalties to their use.[24]

Rowling cites this year as that in which Newt Scamander (who, within the context of her novels, is the "real" author of her book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) is asked to write a compendium of magical beasts – which, she explains, eventually became the book she herself wrote for Comic Relief.[26]

1925

Morfin Gaunt attacks Tom Riddle Sr. (Voldemort's eventual father) leading to him and his father Marvolo being arrested and imprisoned. Merope reacts to her family's imprisonment by enchanting Riddle (with whom she has fallen in love) into loving her, and the two are married roughly a year before the birth of their child.[27]

Tom Riddle visits his estranged uncle Morfin who has returned from Azkaban and now lives alone following the deaths of his sister and father. Riddle seeks out and murders his father and paternal grandparents, then frames his uncle Morfin Gaunt for the crimes by implanting false memories into his mind.[31]

As Rowling relates in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, precisely 50 years before the events of that book, Riddle secretly opens the Chamber of Secrets (introduced by Rowling in this book, a legendary hidden chamber under the castle, built by the rebellious founder Slytherin), and releases the monstrous serpent (a basilisk) hidden within. As a result, a young student, Myrtle, was killed. Riddle – who, like Harry, is depicted as hating his home in the mundane world, and enjoying life in the school – being shown by Rowling to fear that the school will be closed because of his actions, is then shown to frame Rubeus Hagrid for the crime. As a result, Hagrid is expelled, and Riddle – whose culpability in the matter is unknown – is rewarded; however, Rowling also ensures that the matter is reversed by the end of the same novel.[29][30][32]

Albus Dumbledore defeats the notorious Dark Wizard Grindelwald in this year, at the age of 64 and takes the Elder Wand from him.[33] Historically, it was the year in which the Second World War ended, with the defeat of Nazi Germany in May, and the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan in August. These two facts, according to Rowling, are not a coincidence.[34]

The same year has also been shown by Rowling as being Tom Riddle's final year at Hogwarts. As she revealed in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, he requests of the headmaster, Armando Dippet, that he be employed by the school as a teacher; significantly to the plot of the novels, this request is refused on the basis that Tom was too young to teach yet. Then Rowling notes that Riddle instead found work in Borgin and Burkes, shown in the novels to be a purveyor of cursed and Dark objects.[35][36]

1946

Rowling notes in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Tom Riddle, having discovered in the course of his work at Borgin and Burkes two treasures, formerly the property of Salazar Slytherin and Helga Hufflepuff (that of Slytherin, Rowling is careful to note, was a hereditary possession of Riddle's maternal family), facilitates the murder of the objects' legal owner Hepzibah Smith and disappears. This marks the final chronological stage in the novels when he appears as Tom Riddle; when he next appears, he has become in appearance and nature "Lord Voldemort".[35]

1948

Harry Potter's used copy of Advanced Potion-Making, marked with This Book is the Property of the Half-Blood Prince, is dated as published in this time frame – being "nearly fifty years old" during Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts.[37] The textbook previously belonged to Severus Snape, and his mother Eileen Prince before him.[38]

1953

The Holyhead Harpies, led by Gwendolyn Morgan, defeat the Heidelberg Harriers, led by Rudolf Brand, in a seven-day epic Quidditch match. Rudolf proposes marriage to Gwendolyn. She gives him a concussion with her broom.[39]

1956

Rowling revealed in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix that Minerva McGonagall, the firm but fair Deputy Headmistress who plays a major role in the novels, had in the autumn term of that novel (and thus the chronological year of 1995) been teaching "Thirty-nine years this December": thus, since the December of 1956.[40] She probably replaces Dumbledore as the school's Transfiguration professor.

The year in which Albus Dumbledore became Headmaster is not certain. However, Rowling's plot exposition in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince made it clear that he became Headmaster around 10 years after Rowling implies Riddle disappeared – and thus, somewhere between 1955 and 1957.[35][41] But this appears to be contradicting Remus Lupin's statements in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban which imply Dumbledore didn't become Headmaster until much later, around 1970 (see "Contradictions" above).

It is also implied in the same novel that, shortly after Dumbledore became Headmaster, Riddle returned to Britain – fully in the name and disguise now of "Lord Voldemort" – and requested the Defence Against the Dark Arts teaching position. When refused this by Dumbledore, Rowling explains, Voldemort – who had already recruited followers, including Rosier, Nott, Mulciber, and Dolohov, 'jinxed' the post he had requested – an explanation given by Rowling for the regular change on the school staff to that position each year in the novels.[35] It is also said in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that Voldemort hid the Diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw in the Room of Requirement on the night that he asked for the position, before meeting Dumbledore.

1966

As noted by Rowling, through a comment of the 'Minister for Magic' in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (in the chronological year 1996), Voldemort, becoming more powerful, is supposed to have begun his campaign of fear against the Wizarding World around this time.[42]

Beginning of the first war against Lord Voldemort and his followers. As stated by Albus Dumbledore in the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone – "We have had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."

Severus Snape is tormented and humiliated by James Potter and Sirius Black, and Lily Evans saves Snape (both currently best friends), but this infuriates Snape once everyone starts taunting him about Lily saving him. Snape says he does not need help from a Mudblood. This ends Lily and Snape's friendship, and it devastates Snape. Snape looks at this moment as one of the worst in his life.[14]

Rowling has not made clear when James Potter and Lily Evans – the parents of the main character – were married. Accordingly, no firm date exists; since it is known, through various pieces of information given by Rowling, that they were married by the time Harry was conceived, the range of marriage possibilities is thus from around 1978 to Autumn 1979, when Rowling has made clear Harry was conceived.[48]

1979

The year in which Regulus Black, the brother of Sirius Black, is shown as having died on the Black Family Tree. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, it is discovered that he was, in fact, surrendering himself to the Inferi guarding Slytherin's locket. Before he dies, however, he entrusts the locket to his house-elf, Kreacher. He gives final orders to the elf to destroy the locket by any means and not to tell his family how he died.

Harry James Potter is born on July 31, 1980. Severus Snape comes to Dumbledore and warns him that Voldemort is hunting Lily Potter and her son in order to make sure the prophecy does not come to pass. Snape vows to Dumbledore that he will do anything he asks if he would take measures to protect her.

1981

In Rowling's novels, the period from September–November 1981 is very important. That September sees Severus Snape – Harry's classroom enemy – hired as Potions teacher at Hogwarts.[40] Shortly after this, on 31 October 1981, comes the beginning of the first novel, and a seminal moment in Rowling's work: Voldemort, the enemy of Harry Potter, kills Lily and James Potter, but when attempting to kill the young Harry, is prevented from doing so by Lily, whose sacrifice to save Harry instills an inborn protection in her son. Voldemort's curse therefore backfires onto him and he is reduced to a terrible state of existence. However the general public considers him dead. Harry, left with the scar he is distinctive for throughout the novels, is then sent to live with his maternal relatives, the Dursleys.[15][52]

In the course of the first novel, June of this year sees Harry defeat Lord Voldemort for a second time (although the first time shown to the readers by Rowling).[8][55]

The same chronological year, although the second novel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, is also set up by Rowling as seeing the beginning of the main plot of the second novel, when the Chamber of Secrets is reopened.[5]

2 August – Harry saves his cousin Dudley from two Dementors sent by Dolores Umbridge in Little Whinging.[68][69] (Dudley was aware that Harry had saved him, but this fact is only revealed much later).

12 August – Harry is put on trial for breaching the "Decree for Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery" and the "International Statue of Secrecy," but, following effective testimony from Albus Dumbledore, he is cleared of all charges by the Wizengamot and allowed to go back to study at Hogwarts.

There is a mass breakout of ten Death Eaters from Azkaban. Ministry officials continue denying Voldemort's return and instead pin the blame on Sirius Black, claiming he helped the prisoners escape.

Voldemort does not recover the Prophecy from the Department of Mysteries, due to the efforts of Harry and company. Harry learns of Professor Trelawney's first prediction and the wizarding world is finally alerted to Voldemort's return. Sirius Black dies in The Death Chamber of the Department of Mysteries. Lucius Malfoy and other Death Eaters are arrested and taken to Azkaban.[71][49][72]

Albus Dumbledore destroys another of Voldemort's Horcruxes, formerly encased in Marvolo Gaunt's ring.[75] Albus Dumbledore is cursed in the process. With the help of Severus Snape, this curse is trapped in his right hand. He is told by Snape he has around a year to live. It is also at this time he asks Snape to kill him within the year before Draco Malfoy or any Death Eaters get the opportunity. Albus wishes for Draco's soul to remain whole and for Draco to be spared from torture under the Death Eaters.[76]

Harry, Ron, and Hermione start their sixth year at Hogwarts. Draco Malfoy sneaks off to Knockturn Alley to go to Borgin and Burkes to reserve a vanishing cabinet to get the Death Eaters into Hogwarts.[74][77]

27 July – Harry Potter leaves Privet Drive for the last time, accompanied by six fake Harry Potters and a crew of Order of the Phoenix members; group narrowly escapes the Death Eaters. Alastor Moody and Harry's pet owl Hedwig are killed during this flight.[79][80]George Weasley has his ear cursed by Snape; this, however, turns out to be an accident following the revelations of the seventh book.

24 December – Harry Potter and Hermione Granger visit James and Lily Potter's grave at Godric's Hollow. There, they meet Bathilda Bagshot, who is in fact possessed by Voldemort's snake. Hermione accidentally breaks Harry's wand as they are escaping.[85]

March – Harry, Ron, and Hermione are captured and taken to Malfoy Manor, but they are saved by Dobby who dies in the fray via Bellatrix Lestrange's knife.

1 May – Harry, Ron, Hermione and Griphook (a goblin) break into Gringotts Wizarding Bank and steal Hufflepuff's cup, then escape with the aid of the dragon that guarded some of the vaults.

2 May – the Battle of Hogwarts, at which the four remaining Horcruxes (Ravenclaw's diadem, Hufflepuff's cup, the snake Nagini and Harry Potter) are destroyed. Professor Minerva McGonagall ousts Severus Snape and leads Hogwarts and Order of the Phoenix forces against Voldemort and the Death Eaters; however, Harry discovers Snape's true allegiance shortly after Snape's death, with the help of his memories. Many people on both sides die in this battle, including Lupin, Tonks, Colin Creevey, Fred Weasley, and Bellatrix Lestrange. After the Horcrux inside him is destroyed, Harry returns to the living world through his own free will after being presented with a choice by Dumbledore, who appears before him. Voldemort is finally killed by a backfiring curse cast with the Elder wand, which refuses to kill Harry because Harry is its true master.

September – Neville Longbottom is the Herbology professor at Hogwarts; Ginny and Harry drop off their two sons, James and Albus, at the Hogwarts Express while their daughter, Lily, watches; Hermione and Ron drop off one of their children, Rose, while their son Hugo watches; Draco and his wife drop off their son, named Scorpius. Remus and Tonks' son Teddy goes to see Fleur and Bill's daughter, Victoire, off to Hogwarts, the two having just been caught kissing by James.[87]

The Defence Against the Dark Arts position is no longer jinxed, due to Voldemort's death. Kingsley Shacklebolt is the Minister of Magic.[88]

Births

(Note: Many of the approximate dates in the twentieth century are because Hogwarts accepts students aged eleven as of August 31, so it is possible for any of the students whose birth-month is not given to have been born sometime in the last third of the previous year.)